Sri Lanka healthcare on the brink of collapse amid economic crisis

Doctors in Sri Lanka report that hospitals are running out of crucial medications and supplies as the country’s economic situation intensifies. They fear a public health disaster if foreign assistance does not arrive quickly.

“Day by day, resources are depleting. If we reach zero, I’m not sure what would happen,” Dr Gnanasekaram worries.

As secretary of Sri Lanka’s Association of Medical Specialists, the surgeon has been tasked with preparing a list of which medications are running low in the capital Colombo’s hospitals.

“We are in desperate need of medical supplies, anesthetics, implants, and suture materials. We are on the verge of depleting the supplies. Unless there is rapid relief, healthcare services would collapse,” he argues.

Sri Lanka is undergoing the biggest economic crisis in its history. Around 85 percent of the country’s medical supplies are imported. However, with foreign money reserves depleting, crucial pharmaceuticals are becoming increasingly difficult to procure.

Dr. Wijesuriya, medical director of Sri Lanka’s largest children’s hospital, Lady Ridgeway, presents me with a sheet of paper with a list of important medications in his office.

There is a column next to the medication’s name that indicates its availability.

Some, such as atracurium, which is used in anesthetics, are only available for two months. However, as I continue to peruse the list, I see that some medications are even scarcer.

The painkiller fentanyl is only available for two weeks longer, while three distinct types of antibiotics are now “out of stock.”

For the time being, Dr. Wijesuriya says he is coping with these shortages through substitutes. He is hopeful that the government will find a way to provide him with the supplies he requires to care for his patients.

Sri Lanka operates a universally free healthcare system on which millions of people rely.

The main doctor’s organization on the island, the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA), has blamed the problem on inadequate financial and economic management and is appealing to individuals from outside to contribute supplies.

It has released a lengthy list of critically required products, including antibiotics, paracetamol, blood pressure medication, and antidepressants.

Sri Lanka’s medical crisis is exacerbated by the additional strain placed on employees.